“I’ve been in camp for over eight weeks and I’ve been pushing myself hard. It’s one thing if [it happens] two months out from a fight, but two weeks? It’s devastating. Even if I lost, worst case scenario, (including sponsorship money) I would still be out close to $40,000. Until all the paperwork and everything is done I’m not going to be cleared to fight somewhere else before the end of the year. It’s close to the holidays, I got a mortgage to pay, I’ve got two kids, it’s tough.”

Damn, Scott. Now I just feel terrible. There may have been a lot of small failures and a few colossal ones behind EliteXC’s demise, but you sure as hell can’t put any of it on Smith, whose clashes with Robbie Lawler were among the most memorable (for the right reasons) bouts in EliteXC’s brief history.

So if it ain’t Scott Smith’s fault, dammit, whose fault is it? Former Pro Elite VP of Home Entertainment Turi Altavilla doesn’t explicitly say it was Jared Shaw’s fuck-ups that did them in, but he certainly doesn’t absolve $kala from responsibility either. Apparently after Jared’s father, Gary Shaw, left the company under the condition that his son would stay on, things took a turn for the stupid:

“Jared would try and make it very clear that both he and the matchmaking team were calling the shots with the matchmaking,” says Altavilla. “There wasn’t even any pretending that they would try and throw us a bone. There were times when others had different ideas for matches that were clearly better ideas, and he’d make it clear that that wasn’t going to happen.”

[...]

“At the end of it all, you’re talking about guys with years and years of experience that have seen and done this on many levels, and then you’re talking about Jared, who was basically a fan,” says Altavilla. “It often seemed to me like he was a fan who won some reality show and got to be a part of an MMA company.”

[...]

“I think a lot of us were guilty of keeping our mouths shut, because we thought it was a matter of time before Jared was going to get the boot,” says Altavilla. “We thought it would be any week. Obviously, that never happened.”

Altavilla also criticizes the younger Shaw for becoming a part of Kimbo Slice‘s entourage, for making their contract dispute with KJ Noons both public and personal, and for being a general jackass who preferred to show up and steal the limelight rather than do the actual work that makes an MMA event happen. Somehow I remain completely unsurprised at these accusations.

As for what ultimately went wrong with EliteXC, Altavilla said they simply “blew it.” Some more than others, it would seem.

Cagepotato Comments

Showing 1-25 of comments

Damn sucks to be you trinity. You have no friends, and everyone hates you. congrats you are a douche bag.

skull- October 30, 2008 at 12:17 pm

OK, cr_trinity, that TEARS it!!! I won't allow ufc fan to dirty his hands crushing you, because I will meet you for a fight. I will meet you Saturday night behind Tony's Pizza, and I will be in the white station wagon. After I turn your face into raw hamburger and knock you senseless, I will take great pleasure in body slamming you into a pile of broken beer bottles. As you lie there, I will carve "ufc fan" into your forehead with a rusty knife. At least then, when you continue to molest cubscouts, they will be able to identify you. Cr_trinity, have fun crawling around on your hands and knees looking for your teeth!

cr_trinity- October 30, 2008 at 4:29 am

No. I'm just sitting here thinking that your school term ends soon and I'm worried about all of the little children in your neighbourhood actually having to see you. Don't worry, they'll probably play some more TUF marathons for you while you stalk the Ice Cream Truck looking for your next little plaything.

See Older Cp readers: this is what happens when you breast feed your children up till the age of 14. Don't worry UFC Fan, they have therapists out there who can help you with your little problems.

UFC fan- October 30, 2008 at 2:18 am

way to tell him guys.....now I wonder where old cum-guzzling Trinity is now?
Out having buttsex with tuf Gay, and uk fag?

Big Whoop- October 29, 2008 at 7:15 pm

Smith has a chin and power in his hands, but let's be serious, he is a borderline UFCer even at 185. The man has no ground skill and is stiff on his feet.

I feel bad for him, but perhaps he should have negotiated a non-exclusive contract like Noons/Diaz/Alvarez. And let that be a lesson to all fighters, beware of organizations that overpromise but underdeliver. Not that every fighter should fight in the UFC, but at least you can be assured they'll be 1) continue to operate, 2) pay you. And as long as you don't try to leave, you won't get frozen out.....

Aaron- October 29, 2008 at 4:51 pm

@Imbecile- Right on. Elite XC gave false impressions to the casual viewer of who the best MMA fighters are. Smith and Lawler are both very good, and could fight in any organization. Kimbo, however, should never have been made a main card. He did fine for himself, but Elite tried to portray him as a top heavyweight in the world. I feel bad for the legitimite fighters like Smith, and the women who were just starting to build some momentum in MMA.

Imbecile- October 29, 2008 at 4:31 pm

Shawn is absolutely right!

The only reason Pro Elite and EliteXC even existed is because of Dana White's success. Scott Smith, Kimbo Slice, and all the others would never have had a single fight without Dana White's ingenuity in building the UFC into such a viable business.

The UFC has driven the entire industry, and without the popularity that the UFC enjoys you wouldn't see other successes around. You wouldn't have MMA and jiu-jitsu gyms in every strip mall around the country, and you certainly wouldn't have the major camps that people go and train at. You wouldn't see all of these MMA clothing brands being successful. Without the UFC and Dana White, there never would have been an Affliction shirt on every douchebag that wants to look edgy, let alone all of the other brands, like TapOut, Sinister, Punishment (yeah Tito, Dana is, in part, responsible for you brilliant business success), etc.

The popularity of the UFC drives the popularity of the industry as a whole, and there would be no places for fighters to fight without Dana White and the UFC. CBS would not be the least bit interested in MMA without the success of the UFC. We never would have heard the name Affliction, and Pride would have crumbled under mafia influences in Japan, having only been a small fad over in the US, and their fighters would have nowhere else to go. As goes the success of the UFC, so goes the rest of the industry created around it. To their credit, TapOut understands this, and has embraced it.

So to all of the Dana White haters posting on this site, if you don't like his personality... fine, I can understand that. But don't say that he has done nothing for the sport, because this site you are posting on wouldn't exist either without Dana White's successful efforts with the UFC.

emptyhandkiller- October 29, 2008 at 2:29 pm

Shawn - - - - Hey, if everyone thought things out logically like you do, then we wouldn't have any fun on here attacking the idiotic halfwits who take Dana's being mean personally! Just think... If Dana and the UFC shut its doors and vanished, what would those nitwits blame THEN? Maybe they would then start their own billion dollar company and rule the world of mma! I bet they could do it!!!

Shawn- October 29, 2008 at 2:01 pm

mer mer mer mer mer ufc sucks mer mer dana white is mean mer mer mer

shut the fuck up

the ufc brought mma to america. the ufc is mainly responsible for the unified rules, thus turning mma into a legitimate sport. the ufc is solely responsible for pushing mma into the mainstream. the ufc has set the model for the correct way to promote mma and combat sports in general. the ufc has been able to not only appease the hardcore fan but bring in money from the casual fan, thus bringing more money to the sport and making it better for everyone involved - fan, fighter, promoter, and sponsors alike.

yeah, business tactics are occasionally a little shady. yeah, dana white says something every once in a while that pisses people off. there have been mistakes over the years which is the case in any new venture - no ones done it before so obviously you're going to learn by trial and error. when it comes down to it the ufc has built this sport to what it is. while not everyone is going to always agree with the way they run specifics of the business, to entirely disrespect the company and pretend they haven't done anything worth shit is not only dumb but it's living in a false reality.

MMArod- October 29, 2008 at 1:11 pm

I agree that it's funny for that one guy to label Dana White as the downfall of MMA, then admit he watches illegal UFC fights on the internet. So, in turn, he is doing nothing himself to help pay the fighters or help the sport.

UFC brought MMA to the limelight. Love em or hate em, they are here to stay for quite a while. So spend every day crying about how UFC and White suck... and then go pirate their matches online because you "hate" to watch sooo much.

emptyhandkiller- October 29, 2008 at 1:06 pm

Skull, I don't know about that. Sure, cr_trinity is fat, out of shape, weak minded, and has a glass jaw,but..... He talks tough, so maybe ufc fan should be afraid of ever meeting him! Ufc fan, I don't want to see you get hurt, so why don't you just play it safe - change your name, grow a beard and become a sheep rancher in northern Montana? Save yourself, ufc fan, leave town, NOW!

skull- October 29, 2008 at 1:00 pm

Hey, cr_trinity.... better be careful what you wish for... I saw ufc fan in action! He didn't even have to touch his opponent... he just turned around and pumped out a monster stink fart that KO'd the guy! You don't stand a chance! Ufc fan! Ufc fan! Ufc fan! USA USA USA!!!!

UFC fan- October 29, 2008 at 12:44 pm

cr_trinity says: "Man I wish I could meet you in person."
Of course you do, you are just like your 2 homo sexual friends TUF gay, and UK fag, you all want me to tea-bag you, but look I am going to have to break your hearts and say no, I don't swing that way zoomie.
As for your stance on UFC, well you are so full of shit your eyes are brown and your breathe stinks from here. Sadly ruckus beat me to it, but your hypocrisy and stupidity are the 2 things that must keep you going since you have no brain cells.
If it wasn't for UFC you wouldn't have this site on which to spew your stupid banter. You would be in a gym somewhere sucking their dicks and holding the spit bucket.
And finally..to come full circle with this convo....you wouldn't want to meet me in person cause it would be the end of your miserable, retarded life, I would kill you...graveyard dead! Better stay in mommy and daddys basement, you little bitch.

mayhem420- October 29, 2008 at 11:21 am

Glad that Elite went under, sucks that people are un-employeed but right now we have alot of people in this country (US) that are out of work and are much worse off than guys like Smith. When you have people who work 2 or 3 jobs just so they can keep paying for a house and feed the family its hard to feel sorry for a fighter that makes $40,000 a fight. Hell I only make $40,000 a year and its tuff as hell to pay bills. You wanna feel sorry for some one, feel sorry for the guy down the street that just had his home forclosed cause of some bank.
Now I know people hate Dana White but how does he have anything to do with Elite going under? Yea he blasted them all the time but he didnt run them into the ground.
If it was not for Dana White you wouldnt have any fights going on in the States or on TV right now. Dana White and the Zuffa saved the UFC and made it what it is today.
Which is the industry standard. So what if Zuffa is about making money? Thats what this all is any way... an orginization that puts on fights to make money.
If you dont like UFC or Dana White so much then why watch it at all?
You wanna rant about Dana go ahead. You sound more like a tool for bitching about a guy that saved MMA in the US and brought it into the main stream.
**side note*** if I spelled anything wrong I DONT GIVE A SHIT. Its to early to proff read anything and besides I just dont care.
FIN

ruckus- October 29, 2008 at 10:39 am

lol @ trinity

You don't see any irony in talking about who/what is going to hurt MMA while you pirate a large chunk of the MMA you watch?

come on now...

Plust I think we all watch the fights and fighters, thank you very much.

T BONE- October 29, 2008 at 5:30 am

hey trinity so ur down with pre fight "bonuses"? at least UFC doesnt try n convince the fighters to stay standing? i'm a big fan of scott and robbie and a few other guys here and it is a major buzz kill to see that they're struggling though..

cr_trinity- October 29, 2008 at 3:20 am

And to UFC Fan: I only watch UFC main events on Pirate Sites. I watch the fights and the fighters, and I have no emotional attachement to the organisations that they fight under.

As for any with a brain, please research the Z Files, if you want to have a more accurate portrayal of the past of the Fertitta Brothers.

And Dana is a promoter: without the fighters he's just another moron like UFC Fan. If he doesn't start to realise it, he's just gonna be stuck with these TUF idiots, and he'll have to resort to even more WWE style promotional tactics as the sports aspect of MMA is slowly but surely dying. Only a fool can't see that.

UFC fan- October 29, 2008 at 3:11 am

Trinity MMA. yeah you should start a business dude cause dana is such a douche, and you are so fucking smart. man you can take them upstart bastards, go for it man!
You are the first person to bleed like a pussy, and cry, but your goofy ass sits here month after month talking about UFC that you watch, and never miss.
sadly UFC is not going anywhere...sad for you, cause you are a loser, like all the other morons who talk shit like you.
Cry some more for me you 3rd world monkey.

ruckus- October 29, 2008 at 1:58 am

"In actuality UFC will kill off MMA in the log run as combat sports fans get alienated by the Marks and their extreme stupidity."

right...

Flyin Hawaiian- October 29, 2008 at 1:27 am

I meant "aren't performing..."

Flyin Hawaiian- October 29, 2008 at 1:26 am

The only people that fans can be mad at are the idiots that ran ProElite into the ground, which are the Shaws and everybody else that kept their mouths shut hoping the Shaws would get fired. Dana White's recent comments are the same ones he's been saying since EliteXC started..."they won't last" And now that his predictions have come to fruition, everybody's pissed at Dana White?!? As much as people think Dana is a prick, he's done more for MMA than anybody. He knows the "business" better than anybody and when some circus org. tries to bring their side-show mainstream and call it MMA, Dana gets pissed and he lets everybody know. He's worked too hard to let these bottom feeding companies try and take credit for MMA's progression. Even when his own fighters are performing the way they should, Dana lets everyone know that it isn't right. That's the kind of person you want running a multi-Billion dollar company and that's the kind of ballz you need to run a SUCCESSFUL MMA organization.

why would you hate on dana white after reading this article? are you so mentally limited that you missed the whole point? read this
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/a-death-in-the-family-14954
i realize that it is late for some of the matrix fans, but someone needs to explain to me why this article reasonably has anything to do with dana and not that wanna-be rapper $

Josh Aint Thug- October 29, 2008 at 12:51 am

@ KJ Nooner

I totally agree with you. I love Dana White, even though he can be arrogant and a dick sometimes but I think the guy has a real grasp on the MMA business. And its not like he hates EVERY organization out there, there was a video after UFC 90 of him talking to reporters and he was praising Strikeforce because "they know how to build an organization and its fighters right". Dana only has beef with those who are in the MMA business for the wrong reasons IMO

HitmanBert- October 29, 2008 at 12:50 am

He can always be a debt collector or there's Mc'Donalds;)

KJNoons needs a nooner- October 29, 2008 at 12:49 am

Dana is on everyone's hit list because he comes across as a cocky bully in the MMA world of promoters, even in his video blogs; but I love the guy. I'm sad to see Elite XC go because it really means one less org. I think Dana White is the man, in interviews he has said that the UFC was a pubic hair from going under before TUF started and became a hit. I think people need to look at the way Dana White has modeled an MMA promotion, it doesn't happen overnight and everyone in the org. needs to be realistic, reference Tito Ortiz.

Josh Aint Thug- October 29, 2008 at 12:47 am

I had a feeling EXC was gonna fold, I was just hoping it would happen AFTER their Nov. 8 show man, that show really had potential with the real MMA fans and not that sideshow shit on CBS

Bilbo Mcfonzie- October 28, 2008 at 11:59 pm

I'm not sure why people would point at Dana White as the bad guy in this. It was EliteXC management that killed EliteXC, not Dana White. Though he was obviously willing to lend a helping hand. The bottom line is that if EliteXC had competent people running things they would still be around. I feel bad for the fighters (Scott Smith included) and employees who were just doing their jobs, but I'm gratified that Jeremy Lappen and the Shaws got what was coming to them. Hopefully we don't see them in MMA again.

Jared Shaw Sucks Balls- October 28, 2008 at 11:23 pm

Someone pass the Vaseline please?

cr_trinity- October 28, 2008 at 11:20 pm

Long run sorry

good news- October 28, 2008 at 11:19 pm

At least Diaz still has a change of fighting for Dream. Although he might have to wait a few months for the check to come.

cr_trinity- October 28, 2008 at 11:18 pm

Thank God more people are finally waking up to how much of a bastard Dana Fucking White is! But just wait about two minutes before one of these Dana White Marks tries to come with a quasi coherent response to that. Cough Cough UFC FAN cough cough.

In actuality UFC will kill off MMA in the log run as combat sports fans get alienated by the Marks and their extreme stupidity.